Means for washing bottles



' QP 1931- v J. L. HEROLD ET AL 1,824,993

MEANS FOR 'WASHING BOTTLES 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Dec. 5. 1928 J wigs JON. Q55

4/ flrroe 6i Sept. 29, 1931. J. HEROLD ET AL 1,824,993

MEANSITOR WASHING BCTTLES Filed Dec. 5, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet '2 c r PM DA MASON.

firromwsx Patented Sept. 29, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JAMES L. HEROLD AND JOSEPH W. DAWSON, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNORS TO BARRY-WEHMILLER MACHINERY COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPO- RATION OF MISSOURI MEANS FOR WASHING BOTTLES.

This invention relates to means for washing bottles, and the like, the main object" being to produce a highly efficient cleansing operation, in a simple manner and at a relatively low cost, without using complex or expensive mechanism.

More specifically stated, an object is to use the cleansing liquid as a means for imparting rotary motion to the bottles during the washing operation. The bottles may be rotatably mounted on suitable supports, and the streams of cleansing liquid may be so directed that the liquid itself acting directly on the bottles, will cause them-to rotate at a high speed. The forcible cleansing action due to the impact of the cleansing liquid, is thus dis-..

tributed over a large surface area, and this may be accomplished without using special mechanism to turn the bottles. I

A further object is to extend the forcible cleansing action to approximately all of the surface area to be washed'by these streams, and this is preferably accomplished by moving the rotating bottles relative to the streams.

For example, if the streams are projected from a stationary conductor, the rotating bottles may be moved longitudinally to receive the forcible impacts of the streams at all pointson the surface between the ends of the bottles. We will hereafter show how this may be accomplished in washing one end and the entire outer'surface of each bottle.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention comprises the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more specifically described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein is shown the preferred embodiment of the invention. However, it is to be understood that the invention comprehends changes, variations and modifications which come within the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

Fig. 1 is a vertical section illustrating a bottle washing device embodying the features of this invention, and showing a portion of the tank or housingin which the device is located. P

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing the bottle in its elevated position.

streams of cleansing liquid may be projected onto the bottles to rotate them in the direction indicated by arrows.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, illustrating a different arrangement of the discharge ports, or nozzles.

We will now describe details which have been shown to'illustrate one form of the in- .Vention. I

The bottles to be washed may be located in a suitable carrier, or conveyor, adapted to carry the bottles to and away from the washing device. This bottle carrier comprises chains 1 provided with rollers 2 which travel on tracks 3. An elongated bottle holder 4 is carried by the chains 1, and it will be understoodv that any desired number of these bottle holders may be secured to the-chains. The bottle holder shown is provided with partitions 5 (Fig. 3) whereby it is divided into compartments, each adapted to receive a bottle 6, as shown in Fig. 1, the bottom of each compartment being contracted to form a seat 7. for the bottle. The upper end of each compartment is open, so the bottle can be lifted from the position shown in Fig. 1'to the position shown in Fig. 2.

Before describing the manner in which the bottles are rotated by the cleansing fluid, we will refer to a supporting device on which the bottles are rotatably mounted during the washing operation, and show how this device may be operated to lift the bottles from the bottle carrier when the latter is at rest..

The lifting means comprises a row of spindles 8 (Figs. 1 and 3) carried by a bar 9 having its ends secured to blocks 10 which are movable in vertical guides 11, said guides being at the side walls 12 of the housing. The operating means may include an oscillatory shaft 13 (Fig. 1) which may be driven from any suitable source of power, arms'14 extending from said shaft, and links 15 connecting said arms to the blocks 10, as shown in Figs.

1 and 3. It will now be understood that the Each of the bottle supports just referred to may be made as shown in Figures '1 and 2, wherein 16 designates a bottle support in the form of a cap rotatably mounted on the upper end of the spindle 8. The spindle has a conical upper end 17 and the point at its tip contacts with the top wall of the bottle support 16, said top wall having a conical inner face larger than the conical element 17. The bottle support 16 is, therefore, quite free to rotate on the apex of the conical element 17 I As a further safeguard to reduce friction, rolling elements such as balls 18 (Fig. 1) are preferably interposed between the bottle support 16 and the upper portion of the spindle, said balls being confined by an annular groove 19.

Theupper end of the bottle support 16 is tapered, as shown at 20, to freely enter the bottle, and the lower end of said support 18 provided with an annular flange, or shoulder, 21- forming a seat for the bottle.

During the Washing operation, each spindle 8 and its bottle support 16 are raised and lowered to lift a bottle from the position show in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. 2, and thence back to the position shown in Fig. 1.

The means for rotating and at the same time washing the bottles preferably comprises a pair of tubes, or pipes, 22 located 24 at opposite sides of the vertical courses of bot't es, and provided with nozzles 23 having discharge ports from which the cleansing liquid is forcibly discharged onto the bot tles. This liquid may be delivered to the pipes 22 under pressure from any suitable source.

Figures 1 and 4 show how the ported nozzles 23 may be arran ed with relation to the bottles 6, and it will %e important toobserve that each of the discharge ports associated with any given bottle, lies at an angle to a vertical plane extending radially from the axis of thebottle and passing through the ort. This non-radial condition is illustrated y Fig? 4, which shows that each bottle is acted upon by two oppositely disposed streams tending to rotate the'bottle, and actual use of the device has shown that the speed of rotation is very rapid.

all of the bottles in the same direction, but the nozzles may be arranged as shown in Fig. 5, and in this event-adj acent bottles will turn in opposite directions, as indicated by arrows.

Bottle carriers of the general type herein shown, including chains 1 connected to bottle holders 4, are usually very long and rather bottles.

The upper portion of each spindle is surrounded by a stationary guide tube 2 1, said pin 26, as shownkmost clearly in Fig. 1, the

spindle being free to wabble on the bar.

When a spindle moves vertically, it is loosely guided by a tube 24 until the tapered upper end of its bottle holder 16 strikes either the end of a bottle or the adjacent end of the bottle compartment. The loose spindle is then easily deflected as the bottle holder enters the bottle, and the beveled seat 21 on the bottle holder is finally positioped with sufficient accuracy at the lower end of the bottle. Thereafter, as the loose spindle moves upwardly, it is guided by the surrounding tube As the bottle is-lifted from. the traveling 'bottle carrier, it enters a housing, or hood 27 where the upper end fo the bottle is confined during the washing operation. -This housing 27 is provided with partitions 28 which divide it into compartments, there being one com artment for each bottle. The lower edge 0 each partition is approximately in the form of an inverted V, as shown at 29 in Fig. 1, and the same is true of the side walls of each compartment, as seen at 30 in Fig. 3. Therefore, if abottle is unduly displaced, its round upper end will strike these inclined edges, and this will cause the bottle to enter the housing 27. 4

The nozzles 23 are preferably directed downwardly (Fig. 1) to first wash the inverted bottom'of the bottle. As the bottle rises, the streams of cleansing fluid strike its peripheral face, with the result of rapidly rotating the bottle while it moves upwardly radial and then downwardly. The entire surface of the bottle is thus exposed to the forcible action of the liquid, so as to positively remove all particles of dirt and other material clinging to this surface.

Under the ordinary conditions, the rotating bottle will be vertical during the washing operation, and all of its weight will be su ported on the apex of the cone 17 (Fig. l so the bottle will turn very freely. The rolling members 18 reduce friction due to any lateral thrust on the rotating bottle, and the housing 27 serves as a guide, or support, to prevent excessive displacement of the bottle.

\Ve claim:

1. In a bottle washing device, a spindle having a pointed upper end, a bottle-holder surrounding and resting upon said pointed upper end, rolling members between the outer face of said spindle and the inner face of said bottle-holder, said bottle-holder having a shoulder on which the bottle is seated, and means comprising a device through which cleansing liquid is discharged onto the periphery of the bottle to rotate said bottle and bottle-holder during the washing operation.

2. In a bottle washing device, a support on which the bottle is mounted, means acting on the bottle itself to rotate said bottle during the washing operation, said means comprising a nozzle directed toward the periphery of the bottle at an angle to a radial plane extending from the axis of rotation of the bottle throu h said nozzle, through which nozzle cleanslng liquid is discharged onto the bottle thereby to rotate and at the same time wash the bottle, and means whereby said support is raised and lowered during the operation of said first named means.

3. In a bottle washing device, a bottle carrier, a lifting device adapted to lift the bottles from said carrier, said lifting device including bottle supports on which the bottles are rotatably supported, and means acting directly on the bottles to rotate them on said supports, said means including a device having discharge ports, each of which is directed toward the periphery of a bottle at an angle to a plane extending from the axis of rotation '0 the bottle through said discharge port, through which ports cleansing liquid is discharged onto the bottles to rotate and at the same time wash the lifted bottles, and each of said discharge ports being at an angle to the axis of the bottle support associated therewith.

4. In a bottle washing device,a bottle carrier, a lifting device adapted to lift the bottles from said carrier, said lifting device including bottle supports on which the bottles are rotatably supported, and means acting directly on the bottles to rotate them on said supports, said means including a device having discharge ports through which cleansing liquid is discharged onto the bottles to rotate and at the same time wash said bottles, said discharge ports being above said carrier and inclined'downwardly to wash the upper end faces of the bottles, and each of said discharge ports being directed toward a bottle at an angle to a plane extending radially from the axis of rotation of the bottle through the port, so as to impart a rotative thrust through the cleansing liquid to the bottle.

5. In a bottle washing device, a bottle carrier adapted to hold inverted bottles, a lifting device below said carrier adapted to enter and lift an inverted bottle, said lifting device including a rotatable bottle holder having a tapered upper end adapted to enter the bottle and a seat for the bottle below said tapered end, a loosely mounted spindle supporting said bottle holder and a guide 00- operating with said spindle andbottle holder to direct said tapered end into the bottle, and means acting upon the peripheral faces of the bottle to rotate both the bottle and said bottle holder, said means comprising a discharge device having a port through whichcleansing liquid is discharged onto the periphery of the bottle, and said port being at an angle to a vertical planeextending radially from the axis of rotation of the bottle through said port so as to transmit a rotary motion from the cleansing liquid to the bottles. v

6. In a bottle washing device, a bottle carrier adapted to hold inverted bottles, a lifting device below said carrier adapted to enter and lift an inverted bottle, said lifting device including a seat on which the bottle is rotatably supported when lifted from said carrier, means acting directly on the lifted bottle to rotate it on said seat, and a guard located 

